Bitcoin Payments Go Mainstream as Crypto Adoption Grows

Bitcoin hits Swiss supermarkets, Alden cuts BTC forecast, and SafeMoon’s ex-CEO faces trial today’s top crypto news!

What’s Happening in Crypto Today? Bitcoin Forecasts, Courtroom Battles, and Lightning Checkout

From price predictions to real-world adoption and legal showdowns, today’s crypto headlines had a little bit of everything. Here's your daily digest on what moved the needle in the crypto market and beyond.

Lyn Alden Lowers Bitcoin Forecast, Cites “Tariff Kerfuffle”

Top macroeconomist Lyn Alden, known for her in-depth analysis of Bitcoin and macro markets, recently revised her 2025 outlook for Bitcoin. On the April 17 episode of Coin Stories, Alden said she now expects Bitcoin to end the year higher than its current price (~$85,000)-but not as high as she once predicted.

Why the revision? Tariffs. Specifically, the Trump administration’s February tariff announcement, which Alden claims disrupted liquidity flows and cooled investor enthusiasm across risk assets.

- “Before all this tariff kerfuffle, I would have had a higher price target,” Alden noted."

However, Alden hinted that a “massive liquidity unlock” could trigger a bullish push for Bitcoin. This could occur if, for instance, the U.S. bond market falters and forces the Federal Reserve to introduce emergency tools like yield curve control or quantitative easing (QE).

This liquidity injection scenario, Alden argues, could resemble the 2003–2007 pre-global financial crisis era, which was marked by inflated asset prices and loose monetary policy a perfect storm for risk-on assets like Bitcoin.

DOJ Pushes Ahead with SafeMoon CEO Prosecution

In a twist that’s causing a stir across crypto regulation circles, U.S. federal prosecutors will continue pursuing charges against Braden John Karony, former CEO of SafeMoon, despite a Justice Department memo advising against the so-called “regulation by prosecution” approach for crypto.

Here’s the backstory:

The April 7 DOJ memo, issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, seemed to indicate a policy shift, discouraging aggressive legal tactics in the gray zone of digital assets.

But in an April 18 filing, U.S. Attorney John Durham for the Eastern District of New York clarified that Karony’s case will proceed, memo or not.

Karony faces a laundry list of charges including:

- Securities fraud conspiracy

- Wire fraud conspiracy

- Money laundering conspiracy

Prosecutors allege Karony misappropriated millions in SFM tokens between 2021–2022, redirecting funds meant for project development and marketing.

Legal Source: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (PACER)
More on SafeMoon – Wikipedia

Swiss Shoppers Can Now Pay with Bitcoin at Spar Supermarket

Bitcoin adoption hit a new milestone in Zug, Switzerland, today as Spar, a major international grocery chain, started accepting Bitcoin payments at checkout via the Lightning Network.

Announced by DFX Swiss, a crypto-fiat payments firm, the rollout was spotlighted through BTC Map, a community-led project tracking Bitcoin-friendly merchants. The initiative is part of #OpenCryptoPay, an open standard for peer-to-peer in-person crypto payments.

- “This SPAR location is among the first supermarkets in Switzerland where you can pay directly at the checkout using Bitcoin,” DFX Swiss shared via LinkedIn."

The payment system uses LNURL, a Lightning-friendly protocol allowing fast, low-cost BTC transactions.

Why Zug?

Zug has been dubbed “Crypto Valley” for its forward-thinking approach to blockchain technology. Switzerland more broadly has become one of Europe’s most crypto-progressive jurisdictions, known for:

- Welcoming blockchain startups

- Supporting decentralized finance (DeFi) projects

- Implementing favorable tax laws for crypto gains

In fact, in 2023, the nearby city of Lugano became one of the first to accept Bitcoin and Tether (USDT) for municipal payments from taxes to parking tickets.

In Case You Missed It

Here are a few other crypto developments you might want to keep an eye on:

- Solana’s performance continues to draw attention, especially as retail investors eye alternatives to Ethereum.

- Regulatory pressure in the U.S. is building despite recent memos and policy shifts.

- The NFT market is still in cooldown mode, but signs of life are emerging in niche verticals like gaming and music.

Final Thoughts

From revised Bitcoin price forecasts to crypto payments at your local supermarket, today showcased just how diverse and fast-moving the crypto world has become. Lyn Alden’s cautious optimism, DOJ’s assertiveness, and Switzerland’s innovation all paint a picture of an industry that’s maturing but still volatile.

Whether you're investing, trading, or just watching from the sidelines, one thing’s clear crypto news never sleeps.

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